


Fool Me Once More, Shame on Me

by findmeinthevoid



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Multi, happy birthday ya talented beans!, i enjoyed it tho, long oneshot, this was a wild ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 16:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17005278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findmeinthevoid/pseuds/findmeinthevoid
Summary: Nathaniel didn't ask for Lila as a desk mate. Maybe if he entertained her requests, she'd finally leave him alone, right?Little did he know how a single decision could have resulted in so many consequences...





	Fool Me Once More, Shame on Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AuroraLynne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraLynne/gifts), [PandaCapuccino](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandaCapuccino/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to the beautiful and talented AuroraLynne and her equally beautiful and talented twin PandaCapuccino!!! Best of birthday wishes to the both of you!

It had only really been one day since Lila had actually joined the class, but Nathaniel was already on the brink of his sanity and considering switching schools. He felt bad for keeping his mouth shut while the others all fell under her enchanting spell and sucked up to her scheme, ditching Marinette to serve the new Queen of the Classroom, but what could he really have done? At this point, he wasn’t sure if even Alix was fully immune to Lila’s powers. As far as he knew, Marinette and himself were the only two who weren’t taking Lila’s word without a second thought. Oh, wait, add Adrien to the list. Nathaniel had spotted the two of them lingering back after Lila was de-akumatized again.

All Nath wanted to do was have his desk to himself again, where he could doze off or draw or daydream or even just do his work, in general privacy without having to feel like his personal space was being invaded every second of the dreadfully long class. Alix was tolerable - she was his best friend, for goodness’ sake - but he’d really much rather be alone. Unfortunately, with the addition of this (unnecessary) new foreign exchange student, he would no longer be alone. For the entirety of class, Lila pestered him with questions, fed him about a thousand and one lies about her own oh-so-interesting backstory (Nathaniel really didn’t care), and  _ then, _ when Nath thought he’d just drown her out and propped his bag up along the middle of the desk to serve as a barricade from her all-seeing eyes, she peered over anyways to see what he was drawing.

“Oh my gosh, you draw?! My great-grandfather was an artist, he was actually commissioned by the-”

Blah, blah, blah… Nathaniel tried to drown her out and focus on doodling his stress away, but then she pushed his bag away entirely and started making commentary on his drawings. Nathaniel couldn’t have been more thankful when the bell finally rang for the end of the day, but Lila stopped him before he could make it out of the room and run far, far away from here.

“Hey, Nath,” she started sweetly. Nathaniel tried not to scowl, considering whether or not he should exempt her from nickname rights. “Nath” had sounded an awful lot better than “Nathaniel” until he’d heard it out of Lila’s mouth.

“What do you want?” he sighed, already restless.

Lila grinned at him in what he assumed was intended as a charming smile. “Well, you are a  _ really good _ artist,” she started slowly. “Your drawings have a certain,  _ je ne sais quoi _ to them, you know?”

“Yes?”  _ Oh, god, please let her finish already so I can goooooo. _

“Well, I was just wondering, if it’s no trouble to you, of course, I’d  _ hate _ to be an inconvenience,”  _ oh, please hurry up, _ “but if you could maybe draw me, I’d be forever thankful. I’m sure it would be an honour to capture the essence of someone so destined for greatness, before their dawn...”

Nathaniel really had to try not to scowl this time. Of course. Of. Course. The age-old question faced by every unfortunate artist out there. Nathaniel very deeply wanted to give her a flat “no”, but after the last 36 hours since he’d first seen the girl, he knew for sure that Lila wasn’t going to take that as an answer.

Instead he sighed and gave in. “Sure, whatever.”

Lila positively glowed. “Oh my goodness, would you? I’m forever in your debt, you have no idea-”  _ And there she goes again… _

Nathaniel made to leave, very much in need of a headache reliever at this point, but Lila interrupted him for the nth time today.

“Wait, where are you going?” she asked concernedly.

“We have a spare, don’t we? I’m headed to the art room- didn’t you say you were going to the library to catch up on work with Adrien?” he asked, praying she didn’t follow him.

Lila’s face fell, but she was quick to bounce back. “Of course!” she winked, waving goodbye and heading up another stairwell.

Nathaniel resisted the urge to mutter “bye, Felicia” under his breath, took two deep breaths to calm himself, and went up the stairs to room 33.

*

“You’re late,” Marc said softly, once he’d finally arrived. Nathaniel dropped his bag on the floor and collapsed onto the stool. He rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. 

He looked up after a few moments. “Sorry, I got delayed by... _ unforeseen circumstances _ ,” he said, mildly bitter.

“Sure you did,” Alix laughed, and Nathaniel tried not to glare at her. Sure, she was his best friend- did she  _ have _ to look so happy about sitting with Mylene again and leaving the redhead to deal with Little Miss  _ Pants on Fire _ ?

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, what’s up today?” Nathaniel asked in an attempt to change the subject.

Marc shrugged. “I dunno, we just sent the last issue out for publishing, didn’t we?” He tried to calm himself at his own words. It had only been a couple months and they were already being  _ officially published. _ And they weren’t even in high school yet!

“Hmm, yeah. Think of any ideas last night?”

“Uh, I mean, I d-”

Marc was cut off by the door all but slamming open, an unfamiliar guest sashaying their way in and headed straight for the redhead.

“ _ Nath! _ ” she cried joyously.

“Uhh, Nath,” Marc asked carefully. “Who is that?”

Nathaniel covered his entire head in his arms. “Ughhh, why, why,  _ whyyyyy? _ ”

Marc blinked at his angsting form, then looked up at the new girl who had arrived at their side.

“I...don’t think I’ve ever met you before,” Marc confessed to her.

“Haven’t you? Oh, well, that’s a shame, I figured you’d have seen me on the Ladyblog or somewhere else all over the internet by now- I am quite the viral sensation, you know,” she told him. When he looked none-the-more comprehending, she sighed impatiently. “Lila Rossi, future actress, model, and celebrity,” she informed him, posing dramatically.

Marc didn’t laugh like someone else probably would have. He just looked at her in confusion, and she immediately relinquished the theatrics.

“Anyways,” she said hurriedly, “Nath promised to draw me. Adrien was an  _ amazing _ teacher, I must admit I’m also a pretty great student, but we finished with all the work I had to get done; I’m all yours,” she breathlessly told Nathaniel, who still hadn’t looked up.

Marc immediately felt something very small, rather unidentifiable, twinge deep inside him. His lips ever-so-slightly turned downwards in a frown.

“O-oh,” Nathaniel said, sounding slightly disappointed. “I figured we’d do that after school, but, since you’re here now, I guess...”

Marc looked at him in concerned confusion. Nathaniel had promised to draw Lila? But...why? And more importantly, why hadn’t he told Marc about this? Not that Marc felt entitled to know everything that went on in Nath’s life, but...still...he should deserve to know something this major.

Or perhaps he was just overthinking it. He didn’t like to feel possessive of the redhead, he didn’t want to be that way at all. It wasn’t even that major- he was probably just overthinking everything.

“I do hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Lila said sweetly, Marc wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt repulsed by her so much.

“Not at all,” Nath dismissed. “Marc and I actually have a thing going on where we collaborate and make comic books together,” he explained, gesturing to Marc, who tried to give a small smile.

“Oh, wow, that’s awesome!” Lila gushed. “Like with superheroes and stuff? I can imagine those would be really popular here in Paris.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Nathaniel nodded. “Especially after the superheroes first appeared, I was kind of inspired to start creating artwork about them, and then I met Marc and we decided to get together and make comic books.”

Well, maybe that wasn’t  _ exactly _ how it had happened, Marc thought, wincing as he remembered the whole incident. At the same time, despite the fact he had no reason to be feeling this way, he almost felt... _ betrayed? _ that Nath had just gone and explained their whole backstory to this girl Marc barely knew. He suppressed the emotion, careful not to let it show on his face.

Lila’s smile widened dangerously. “That’s so cool! Actually...we have superheroes in Italy, too, much awesomer than the ones here,” she admitted. “You probably wouldn’t have heard of them, though, France has been kind of reclusive and isolated lately, probably because of the akumas, you know?” she added quickly.

“Yeah, the city used to be chock-full of tourists- now you can actually go a day without a traffic jam or a mob in front of the Louvre,” Nathaniel agreed. “But still, the akumas aren’t all bad. In fact, Marc and I sometimes use them as heroes in our comics,” he said, nudging Marc. The writer nodded and smiled awkwardly.

“Oh, really? Wow, that’s so awesome of you!” Lila said enthusiastically. “I’m actually a little self-conscious about that myself, I  _ was _ akumatized three times, after all.”

The next second was what really made Marc’s stomach twist and had his attention fully diverted to his own thoughts. Nathaniel had seemed generally disinterested but patient since Lila had arrived, but Marc saw the way his eyebrows  _ jumped _ when Lila told him she’d been akumatized thrice.

“Wha- really?!” Nath asked, surprised and suddenly very interested.

“H- _ how? _ ” Marc asked, trying not to sound too skeptical.

“Of course she wasn’t,” Marinette’s voice rang out from behind them, tone edgy. “Sure Ladybug had to de-akumatize her twice, but three times is a total exaggeration.”

Marc turned around in surprise. Marinette had never  _ snapped _ like this before now, as far as Marc knew.

Lila turned around, too, but instead of glaring like Marc had expected her to, she smirked.

“Well, wouldn’t you be one to know?” the girl said in a tone that screamed “ _ passive-aggressive!!! _ ”

“Oh, really, and when was the third time you were akumatized?” Marinette inquired.

“I wouldn’t expect you to keep track of all the poor victims who were re-akumatized on Heroes’ Day,” Lila dismissed.

“Well, I, for one, had first-hand interaction with all the akumas, and you weren’t even one of them!”

“And how did you do that, huh? Care to explain what you were doing, putting yourself in danger when Ladybug’s clear orders were to stay away?”

“I- uh, er… Quit changing the subject!”

Lila looked smug, a triumphant glint in her eyes, and Marinette just looked like she was ready to smash the closest person or object into a wall.

“Anyways,” Lila said, flipping her hair in a way that was strongly reminiscent of Chloe Bourgeois, “you don’t have to doubt me. Volpina twice, then Chameleon, and I can tell you  _ all _ about it.” 

She informed them with such ease and conviction that even Marc found himself wondering if she wasn’t crying wolf for once. That was, unil he saw Nath looking at her in awe and took it all back, his stomach twisting painfully.

“Well, then, kids, it’s almost time to go home for you guys, isn’t it? Why don’t we break up the arguing and part ways peacefully?” M. Ross suggested, appearing behind them.

Marinette gave one last resentful glance at Lila, which Lila returned with an evil grin of her own. Nathaniel didn’t seem to notice the exchange, only watching Lila with an expression of mild intrigue as he packed his things up for the day. Marc starting packing his things up, too, not that there was much to put away. They hadn’t even gotten anything done today.

*

“Where are you going?” Lila asked as Nath headed out the front doors, Marc behind him.

“I usually go to the Louvre after school,” the redhead called back. “See you on Monday?”

“Ooh, the Louvre! Doesn’t that get expensive, though, going every day?”

Nathaniel shrugged in place of a reply.

“I’ll come with you, then,” Lila decided. “I can tell you about being Volpina and Chameleon- and then maybe you could even put me in one of your comic books!”

_ How about “no”, _ Marc said in his head, praying that Nath turned her down.

“Suit yourself,” was what he said instead. Marc tried not to feel too betrayed, leading the way to the Louvre as they slowed down to chat behind him.

“Hey Marc!” Marinette said, matching her pace to his ahead of the other two. “Some art class, huh?”

Marc kept his eyes to the ground, trying to hide his unhappiness. “Yeah...”

Marinette leaned in, and Marc looked up at her in mild surprise.

“Come on, be honest. You don’t like Lila, either, do you?” she asked quietly.

“Uh...”

“Shh, it’s fine, I feel the same way. Girl can barely open her mouth without another lie spouting out. Not to turn you against her, or anything,” Marinette added, waving her hands in self-defense, “but I just want to remind you to take her words with a grain of salt, yeah?”

“Just a pinch,” Marc agreed softly, smiling in spite of himself.

“Maybe a teaspoon,” she suggested.

“A shaker of salt,” he threw in.

“An entire salt mine,” she suggested, eyes glinting, and he burst into giggles.

“No, but seriously, I don’t even have a huge problem with her...just that Nath is lowkey sucking up to her and I don’t like the way she’s acting around him...”

“ _ Mmhmm _ ?” Marinette hummed suggestively.

“Mari! Come on, I mean, you know what it’s like to want the best for your bo- best friend,” he said hastily.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

Marc sweat nervously. “Wh- whaddyou mean?” he asked carefully.

“Nothing,” she waved off. “Anyways, that’s all I had to tell you, have fun at the Louvre!” she called, taking off skipping away.

*

“Wow, so this is what the Louvre looks like inside!” Lila exclaimed in awe. “It’s huge!”

“Well, of course it is,” Alix said with a total deadpan. “What, you came here three months ago and you still haven’t been inside?”

“I’ve been pretty busy travelling, you know,” Lila responded edgily. “But wow, look at all these paintings! I bet I could even find one by someone I’m related to. Did I tell you about my great-”

Nathaniel, Marc and Alix were generally silent the next fifteen minutes they spent milling around the museum, save for the odd “mhmm” and “that’s cool”, lacking emotion throughout. They didn’t have to talk, Lila just kept blabbing away, telling them about her second uncle whose grandfather actually helped build the museum and served Napoleon, or something equally wild. None of them were really paying any attention.

“Why don’t we just go to your place?” Nathaniel asked Alix after what felt like forever. She raised an eyebrow, motioning with her eyes to the unwelcome Italian guest among their group.

“What, you live here?” Lila asked interestedly.

“No, I live under the Pont des Arts with my mermaid girlfriend,” she said sarcastically. 

Lila looked slightly confused. “O-oh?”

“Alix, there you are!”

The four of them turned to see a young man who couldn’t be older than twenty, orange scarf slipping away from around his shoulders, hair slightly messy, and glasses askew. He quickly fixed his glasses, evidently having run to catch up with the group.

“Hi, Jalil,” Nathaniel and Alix both said. Marc waved in greeting.

“Ooh, who’s this?” Lila asked curiously.

“I’m Jalil, Alix’s older brother. I’m sort of volunteering here, my dad’s a curator but I’m not quite there yet, myself,” he explained. “Alix, remember that watch Dad gave you for your 15th? I think I found a clue for where it ties into our family history!”

Alix did not look like she cared very much about exactly where her watch had come from, but allowed herself to be led by Jalil to another part of the museum. The others followed him, too, all the way to the... _ Egyptian exhibit _ ?

“Great, so, what are we supposed to be looking at?” Alix asked once they had finally arrived.

Jalil eagerly pointed at a large parchment bearing a mess of hieroglyphs. They followed his finger to an illustration depicting what appeared to be an archaic design of Ladybug. Lila briefly remembered something similar in the Book that shall not be mentioned again.

“Now, the miraculous are known to have been exchanged between cultures and societies for millennia, so while we don’t know how the ancient Egyptians got them, or where they went next, there seems to be a pattern between their rapid advancement ahead of the world after the miraculous became affiliated with the region.”

“In French, please?” Alix asked tiredly.

“Now fast-forward to the Roman influences in Egypt, you know what the Roman Empire was, don’t you?” he asked exasperatedly, to which Alix finally nodded.

“Yeah, we studied it in school...”

“With the Roman and Egyptian exchange of ideas and advancements, it can be inferred that what followed was a period of rapid development in which two societies, together, pushed the limits of technique and technology beyond what had ever been done before!”

“...and you’ve lost me,” Alix shrugged. Nathaniel and Marc both nodded behind her.

“Ooh, I see what you mean!” Lila said enthusiastically. “So basically, when the Roman empire and ancient Egypt first made contact, they spurred a revolution of advancement - over a thousand years before the Industrial Revolution in Europe - and Alix’s watch comes from... _ that _ time period,” she guessed, pointing at a timeline beside the parchment.

“Exactly!” Jalil said excitedly. “Now this is where it gets really crazy, I, uh, may have been dabbling in the odd conspiracy theory myself, but,  _ what if _ after the miraculous left ancient Egypt, there was an attempt, with the sufficiently advanced technology of the time, to  _ replicate the miraculous? _ Or, at least something close...”

Lila’s eyes widened. “Impossible,” she agreed. “You’re nuts.”

“Eh, probably,” Jalil shrugged. “But just imagine. Alix’s watch could be the key to discovering a whole new world of miraculous!”

“Jalil,” Alix interrupted. “When was the last time you had sleep?”

“I took a three-hour nap before noon,” he answered. “I’m not crazy, but just think about it!”

“Last time you said you weren’t crazy...didn’t you try to do an ancient necromancy spell to bring back some princess from the dead?” Nathaniel pointed out.

Jalil huffed. “Okay, okay, I get it, you guys all think I’m off my rocker. Next time you wish you could make your own magical object to turn you into a superhero, don’t come asking me for the history of experimentation,” he told them, snapping his folder shut and turning to leave.

“I don’t dislike Jalil,” Alix said in an audible undertone. “He just gets too far ahead of himself sometimes and ends up getting himself in trouble because of it.”

Marc and Nath both nodded to that, making to leave the exhibit for wherever they were headed, but Lila left the group to chase after Jalil.

*

“Hey, Nath, can we talk?” Marc asked, both of them standing outside the Louvre as the sky turned a streaked pink.

“Yeah?”

“Here?” the writer asked skeptically.

“Do you wanna come over to my place, then?” Nath suggested.

Marc shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I was just wondering, are you really planning to draw Lila? ...Make her a character in our comics?”

“I mean, yeah. First I was kind of annoyed but, like, being akumatized three times? She has first-hand  _ experience _ .”

“And we don’t?” Marc asked.

“Have you been akumatized three times and remembered every time?” Nathaniel asked.

Marc shuffled his feet. “No...but how do you know she’s even telling the truth? I mean, you know how she lies...don’t you?” his voice faded to a mumble.

“Does it even matter, though?” Nathaniel asked, surprising him. “So what if it’s not true, since when are our own comic books true, either? Even if she  _ did _ make up the whole thing, it would make a killer plot, don’t you think?”

“So...you want to use her so-called ‘experience’ as the plot for a comic book?” Marc asked slowly and carefully.

“Basically, yeah,” Nathaniel confirmed.

Marc looked down at the ground. “I thought I was your scriptwriter...” he said softly.

“Marc,” Nath said, lifting his chin with his hand so Marc was looking him in the eye. “You  _ are _ my scriptwriter. Someone else’s idea and inspiration isn’t going to change that.”

_ Isn’t it, though? _ Marc didn’t say it aloud, but he felt it deeply, far inside.

Nathaniel sighed, eyes softening. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“I love you too,” Marc whispered.

“And I don’t ever want to lose you or what we have together,” Nath continued, wrapping his arms around Marc in a close embrace.

“Neither do I,” Marc breathed.

“Good.”

Nath pulled him in for a kiss, short but sweet, enough to speak all the words neither of them said aloud. They paused, breaking apart. Marc averted his gaze, suddenly very interested in the pattern of tiny rocks in the ground.

“See you on Monday,” Nath said in goodbye.

“You too,” Marc gave a small wave, and they both turned around and went off to their respective destinations.

*

“So he said I was still his scriptwriter and nothing could change that, but the way she acts around him- what if she starts trying to butt in and join our duo, you know? Or worse, try to split us up?”

Luka lifted his hand carefully to inspect for any stray streaks of glittery polish, then, satisfied, lowered it again. He laughed lightly.

“Sounds wild,” he commented. “So, what did you do?”

“Nothing!” Marc burst out. “I mean, obviously, I wouldn’t have been able to say anything, it’s  _ Nath, _ and even though he cares about me and everything, it sometimes feels like I have to hold my breath and be careful, treading on eggshells. We’ve come a long way, and I don’t want to lose what we have because of some silly thoughts. I don’t think he does, either.”

“Just saying, I wouldn’t date someone I couldn’t speak my mind around,” Luka said. “It’s better to be able to be honest and blunt with each other than to let things go without saying for the sake of sensitivity. Miscommunications can really ruin a relationship, you know?”

“I guess...” Marc mumbled. “How would you know? I thought you said you’d never been in a relationship before.”

Luka shrugged, and Marc inwardly cursed himself.

“I’m sorry, I forgot about-”

“Don’t sweat it, dude,” Luka assured him. “It’s been a while, now, I’m just a little more wary about going into relationships myself, is all. I don’t want to get into a situation that’s going to be painful to get out of, inevitable as it may be.”

“Oh...” Marc said, fizzling out. “That must be difficult...”

“Hmm?” Luka asked, surprised.

“What if you met someone you really liked, but you hit it off on the wrong note, or you didn’t know them as well as you thought you did, so the rest of your relationship is like tiptoeing around tiny shards of broken glass?”

“That’s a deep metaphor you have, there,” Luka said. “Maybe that’s why I try not to jump headfirst into things, myself. I guess that’s what makes other people less inclined to try and come closer, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, no?”

“I didn’t mean to jump in head-first,” Marc mumbled. “Sometimes you can’t control what happens… Sometimes you just go so crazy for someone you don’t even think first.”

“Guess I just haven’t met that person, yet, then,” Luka shrugged. “Either way, you sound like you’re in some deep water. What are you going to do?”

“Nothing for now,” Marc answered. “I’ll just wait and see how things work out, for the time being, at least. Didn’t mean to bring you into all this, either. I can imagine you have your own stresses going on, I wouldn’t want to bother you...”

“You’re not bothering me right now, are you? I don’t mind you coming here to vent, you’re cool and everyone needs to let out sometimes. Plus, you got your nails done, too, so there’s another benefit.”

Marc lifted his hand to examine them. They were dark but colorful, subtle enough that they didn’t scream out rainbows, but each one was still coated with a different hue of smooth metallic. There was a glitter coat on top of that, too, so overall they looked like little galaxies, all different colors.

“I love them, thanks, Luka,” Marc said in awe. “Are they dry yet?”

“Should be,” Luka shrugged. “You could go if you want. If you want to stay, I’m free most of today,” he offered.

“I’ll stay, then, if it’s not a bother, of course.”

“Nah, I’ll just be chilling out here, playing some guitar, watching the clouds, you know.”

“Sounds great,” Marc said. “Actually, that reminds me. Remember last time I came here, to, uh, vent, and you were playing this new song or something?”

“You mean picking at random chords?” Luka chuckled.

“Yeah, anyway, it actually inspired me to write this poem, here, let me find it-”

*

“Well, that’s about all I got right now,” Luka shrugged. “Unless you want me to dye your hair an obnoxiously loud color-”

“Maybe not today,” Marc shrugged. “You already did my nails...I think I’ll keep it on the lowkey for now.”

“Your choice...but hey, if subtlety is what you’re going for, why not get your ears pierced?” Luka suggested.

“Hmm, I’ve never actually considered that...that might actually be pretty nice...”

“Something small and subtle would suit you,” the guitarist said.

“Do you know a place?” Marc asked. Luka nodded.

*

“Make sure to wash them with antibacterial cleanser at least twice daily for the first two weeks,” the man said, handing Marc a small stack of alcohol wipes.

“Thanks,” Marc said, following Luka out the door. “Now what?”

“I figured we’d get some nice earrings since those basic studs aren’t exactly the prettiest. Pick whatever you want,” he said, opening the door to the adjacent shop, “my treat.”

“Really?” Marc asked. “Thank you so much, you don’t have to do this, though...”

“Sure I do,” Luka pushed him inside. “As your friend and unofficial older brother, it is my duty to spoil the people I care about.”

“I don’t even know what I want,” Marc commented, looking at all the variety. “Nothing too fancy, for sure...”

He browsed around until his gaze fell upon a cute pair of tiny silver pens, and beside that, a pair of earrings with a small paintbrush and palette dangling from either one. Marc briefly reached for them, then hesitated.

“Dang, too bad I already have gauges in, these are adorable...”

Marc turned to see Luka wistfully looking at a pair hanging nearby. Marc looked too. They were small dangling music notes, a tiny, round, black rhinestone on light stainless steel.

“That’s so you,” Marc told him.

“Yeah?” Luka asked. “And what about you?”

“I think I’ll take those,” Marc decided, pulling the pair of music notes off the wall mount.

“You sure?”

“Definitely.”

Marc gave them to Luka to pay, who took them to check-out. Marc waited for him outside the store, and he emerged a moment later with a small shopping bag.

“Well, guess that’s all, then. Thanks for everything,” Marc said, taking the bag.

“Anytime,” Luka promised, waving.

Marc waved back and left. Luka stayed there for a few moments more, until he noticed another building nearby.

*

A group of young girls was just leaving the rink when Luka came in, the instructor ushering them out, where their parents awaited them. By the time he had his skates on, the rink was empty, save for another visitor who had only just arrived.

“Fancy seeing you here again,” she said with a sly smile.

“Could say the same to you. Must say I didn’t catch your name last time,” he replied.

“Kagami,” she said simply, tightening the last lace. Luka stood up.

“Luka,” he said, offering his hand. She didn’t bother taking it, easily pushing herself off the seat and onto her feet. 

She opened the door to the rink and held it open for him. “You coming?”

“Well, you’re quite the confident one, aren’t you,” he laughed softly. 

She merely gave a sneaky smile in response, turning away and skating off across the rink. Luka followed her, breaking from her tracks halfway across, so they met again on the other side of the rink.

“So, you come here often?” he asked, speeding up to somewhat match her own speed.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Alright, I’ll play along with your game. You’re pretty good on the ice, do you skate a lot?” he questioned.

“I’m more of a fencer, but I do skate every now and then,” she answered. “You?”

“More of a music guy myself,” he shrugged. “I used to come with my little sister but we haven’t done skating together in a while...”

“What about your girlfriend?” she asked.

“Don’t have one,” he replied simply. She didn’t look all that surprised, but her expression briefly shifted in understanding.

“Your figure skating technique isn’t all that bad,” she noted. “Do you do ballet?”

He shrugged. “Maybe I’ve just been preparing for the day I found the right partner,” he replied cryptically, and she laughed.

“I’m open for experimenting, so long as it’s only for your skating technique,” she offered, tone teasing.

“In that case, may I have this skate, my fair lady?” he asked, kneeling on the ice.

“You may,” she accepted, and he lifted up, leading her across the ice.

Not that Luka had to do much leading. Kagami seemed to read his mind, his slightest twitch and she completed the move he’d barely initiated. It was smooth and fluid, barely skimming the ice as they flew and danced across the ballroom of the rink. The speakers kicked in and started playing whatever music was on the radio - a smooth piano and violin duet - and their pattern changed accordingly, flowing along to the music rather than the synchronous rhythm of their own hearts.

Philippe appeared as the song drew to an end, bursting into applause along with the members of the next skating class who had arrived early. Luka and Kagami stood still on the ice for some time longer, staring at the audience, then themselves, then at each other, before they pulled away.

“Nice skating with you,” Kagami told him, heading back to the rink doors before the next class started. He followed her through.

“I could say the same to you,” he responded, sitting down next to her on the bench. “We should do that again sometime.”

“I’m free on Thursday night,” she said, switching footwear in record time and stepping up to put her skates on the counter. “I’ll see you then.” And she was gone.

Luka was left blinking after her, word of acception still on his tongue.

*

Nath was most impolitely awakened on Sunday morning by a blasting medley of chaotic notes he’d have loved to listen to if it wasn’t 9am. He’d barely fallen asleep until 2am - wasn’t it supposed to be a weekend? He groaned, flopping himself over to reach for the device on his nightstand.

“Allo?” he asked, tempted to curse whoever dared to disturb him at this inhumanly early hour of day.

“Hey, Nath, I was just wondering when you wanted to meet up so you could draw me and talk about my experiences with akumas.”

Nathaniel groaned. If his ringtone was despicable right now, the sound of Lila’s voice talking to him right after he woke up was nothing short of a  _ nightmare. _

“Er, right,” he said, cringing. “Well, when are you available?”

“Right now, if you don’t mind.”

Nathaniel resisted the urge to scream into his pillow. “Okay. I’ll call Marc and ask if he can come now-”

“Oh, don’t worry about Marc, you don’t need him to draw me, do you?” she asked. “Where do you want to meet up?”

“But-”   
“Oh, I’m sorry, is something wrong? Dammit, I always do this, why can’t I ever do anything right, I’m so sorry-”

“No! Nothing’s wrong, just, where are you right now?”

“Oh, me? I’m at home right now, but we could meet in the park if you want. Or by the Arc de Triomphe. Or the Eiffel Tower-”

“How about the Louvre?” Nathaniel asked, patience wearing thin.

“The Louvre sounds fantastic! Meet you at the entrance to the pyramid in…”

“30 minutes,” he finished, leaning back in bed exhaustedly. “I’ll be there in half and hour.”

“Grea-” 

Nathaniel cut the line, throwing his phone aside. So much for a calm and peaceful weekend…

*

“Nath!”

Nathaniel winced. “Lila…” he replied, straining a smile.

“I'm still so glad you would be willing to draw me!” she gushed, dragging him into the museum.

“Yeah, right…” he muttered under his breath, allowing her to lead him to wherever. 

She finally let go of his sleeve in the Renaissance section, finding a place with fewer people crowding around the artwork, and sat him down on the bench along the middle of the hall. She patted his shoulders and stepped back towards the nearest painting.

“How do you want me?” she asked, showing a series of dramatic poses for examples.

“Anything you want, I guess,” Nathaniel told her. “I mean, it is your picture, how do you want to look?”

Lila grinned at him. “I knew you’d say something like that,” she sighed. “Alright then, how’s this?” She threw a hand up over her head, other resting at her hip, face turned to the ceiling with her eyes closed. It was so Chloe-esque that Nathaniel wanted to burst out laughing but contained himself.

It only took about three minutes for Nath to get a sufficient outline and sketch done, which was a good thing because other museum visitors had started giving them strange looks by then. Lila dropped her arms and collected herself, coming over to see how the sketch had turned out. He handed her the piece of paper with a resigned sigh.

“ _ Wow _ ,” was all she could say, eyes widening in awe. “That’s amazing! Thank you so, so much!” she gushed.

“I’m not even done...” Nathaniel muttered quietly, but, he supposed, so long as Lila was happy, he should be relieved of her in due time.

“It looks great! Now I can tell you all about my experience with akumas, or, I mean, I guess I have bothered you enough for one day...maybe we could discuss it in art class tomorrow?” she suggested.

Nath did not like the idea of her invading the one place he could be free (even Chloe minded her own business nowadays on those few occasions she did come to room 33), but it was true, he didn’t much feel like spending more time with her today, either.

“Tomorrow sounds fine, I guess,” he shrugged, suppressing a yawn behind his hand. “Seeya?”

“Oh, it’s you, from Friday!”

Nath barely turned around to see Jalil coming at them, recognition flashing in his eyes.

He stopped in front of them, re-adjusting his glasses. “What did you say your name was again...Leera-”

“Lila,” she corrected. “How’s your research going?”

Nathaniel took this opportunity to make his exit, leaving the two of them to discuss something about miraculous in Renaissance Europe, from the last snippets of conversation he caught while he was still within earshot. Well, at least  _ Jalil _ had found something non-repulsive in the Italian girl…

*

Marc’s stomach was heavy most of Monday morning, weight only growing the closer it got to the end of classes. He’d decided to take Luka’s advice and finally talk serious with Nath, although such things were infinitely easier said than done. He took deep breaths to ease his nerves as he ascended up the staircase, carefully opening the door at the top. He’d barely glanced inside when his heart sank, melting in a pool at the bottom of his ribcage.

Lila was sitting where Marc usually sat, laughing as she enthusiastically recounted something to Nathaniel, who was either drawing something in his sketchbook or taking notes. It could be either, neither possibility particularly appealing to Marc.

“Nath?” he asked softly, coming to them. “What’s going on?”

“I was just telling Nath all about being akumatized so he can make a comic book about being hit by an akuma three times,” Lila informed him casually. “You should make it like a super special edition, since it’s such a different and original concept.”

“That’s not how it works...” Marc said. “And Nath and I collaborate on the comics...why didn’t you tell me about this?” he asked the redhead.

Nath fidgeted. “We were just waiting for you so Lila started telling me about her experience in the meantime...” he explained.

“But even then, do you really need a scriptwriter? I mean, the details are all there. It’s a real experience, for goodness’ sake, I can give you all the information you need!” Lila pointed out.

“I don’t know, Lila, comics have always been me and Marc’s thing...” Nathaniel said hesitantly. “You’ve given us a lot of inspiration, but Marc has always been the one to write the script...”

“Yeah? Well he should make sure it’s super accurate, not a single discrepancy, you hear me? I don’t want you cutting corners with  _ my _ life story. This is going down in  _ history; Lila Rossi, foreign exchange student, three-time teenaged victim of Parisian supervillain Hawk Moth. _ ”

“I’m sorry, are you saying I can’t do justice to your made-up fantasy of being important and getting attention?” Marc finally snapped. “Well let me tell you what  _ I _ think. I think Paris has had enough of your half-assed lies and pathetic grabs for attention, taking advantage of everyone by pretending you’re so fragile and victimized. For the record, Ivan Bruel was akumatized twice within two days of each of other,  _ and _ he was targeted  _ again _ on Heroes’ Day. You’re not special, you just wish you were!”

“Marc-” Nath started cautiously.

“And  _ you _ ,” Marc turned on the artist, “you knew she was lying from the very beginning but you’ve been sucking up to her anyways! You said I was more important- I  _ thought _ I was more important! But all of you just love to lie, don’t you? Saying what others want to hear just so you can get away with it, well, I’m  _ sick of it! _ ”

“Marc, wait!” Nath tried again, but Marc had already stormed out.

Marinette, who had been watching all this unfold with a worried expression, glanced at the window. As suspected, a small dark pair of wings came flapping inside, headed for the door. She leapt out of her seat and chased after Marc before the butterfly beat her to it. Nathaniel followed.

“Marc! Come back!” Marinette called, racing down the stairs after the writer. 

She could have sworn she glimpsed a red hoodie between the railing, but when she looked there, he was gone. She sighed, slowing to a stop. Nathaniel stopped running, too, on the floor above her.

“Where’d he go?” he asked, concerned.

“I don’t know,” Marinette shrugged. “I think it’s probably better to give him his own space, though, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” Nathaniel sighed. “Should we just go back to the art room, then?”

Marinette came back upstairs and followed him back in. Lila looked utterly unconcerned, and M. Ross had just walked in, looking at them with concern and confusion.

“What happened in here?” he asked to their looks of shock and worry.

“Marc kind of...snapped,” Nath admitted, head lowered in shame. “It was kind of my fault, but we’re giving him his own space for now...”

“There’s also an akuma heading after him...” Marinette added with a sigh, resisting the urge to snap out at Lila again herself.

*

Fifteen minutes had passed, and a sort of uneasy peace had settled down in the classroom. Lila was still careless as ever, when the akuma alarms suddenly went off on everyone’s phones. They jumped up, M. Ross turning on the projector, screen playing a breaking news report.

“ _ This just in- _ a new supervillain is attacking Paris! A mysterious figure of what looks like glass or crystal has been flying around Paris and throwing... _ snow? _ on civilians! We’re not sure what it does yet, but stay inside to be safe!”

Nath and Mari shared a knowing look.

“Marc,” they said aloud in sync.

“What do you think the power does?” Marinette asked, squinting at the screen.

“I don’t know,” Nathaniel replied, heading for the door. “But I’m going after him.”

No one tried to stop him, and he took off racing down the stairs and outside.

“I AM CLARITY!” Marc’s akumasona shouted. Nathaniel paused- he really did look like he was made of crystal, transparent but the sunlight glinted off of neatly cut edges. “From now on, everyone will only speak the truth! No more miscommunication and deception- everything will be clear as day!”

There was a flurry of either snow or periwinkle sparkles, and Nath ducked down to avoid being hit by cloud. Someone beside him stood up after a few moments, eyes widening. Someone else stood up too.

“Young man, are you okay?”

Nathaniel looked up, but the person wasn’t talking to him.

“No, I’m not okay. I didn’t study for my test and I think my girlfriend is cheating on me. Also she’s been spending too much time with her best friend who’s a guy, and I’m starting to feel a little jealous,” the person beside Nath said, then clapped a hand over their mouth, eyes widening in horror.

“Excuse me?!” a feminine voice screeched from behind the redhead. He turned around. “I had a feeling you were suspicious of me! I’m so sick of your lazy habits- you take advantage of me and make all these promises that you can’t even keep! Pierre could do so much better for me, even though I’ve been holding on for so long wishing things would change!”

Nathaniel gaped at everyone around him, who had suddenly burst into what seemed to be uncontrollable confession, either venting or expressing far more information than should be appropriate in such a public place. He got up and took off running after the crystalline figure, avoiding every whoosh of blueish powder that came his way.

“Marc, wait, stop, please!” he yelled, going as fast as his legs would take him. “It doesn’t have to be like this!”

“I’m not Marc, and I’ve had it with your lies. Be upfront or a fraud- make your choice!” Clarity turned to him and threatened.

“Please,” Nath begged, keeling for air. “Marc, stop this, and we can settle this all out without superpowers and akumas...”

“My main priority is Lila Rossi- by trying to stop me, you’re only setting yourself as a target!” the supervillain warned.

“Ma-” Nathaniel tried one last time but Clarity seemed to take a negative answer, aiming straight for Nath with a burst of blue and silver dust.

The redhead staggered, head suddenly heavy, and tried to open his mouth to protest, mind fogging.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he told Clarity, who turned and looked at him, mildly surprised. “I never wanted to get Lila involved either. She sits next to me in class and saw my drawings and next thing you know she’s asking for one herself, and she’s not the type who take no for answer- I just figured it would be just this once and then I’d be rid of her but turns out that wasn’t going to happen.”

Clarity opened his mouth to respond, then paused.

“I do care about you Marc, I’m constantly scared you don’t feel the same. I don’t want to doubt you, but that first time in the art room, when you said my drawings were all that, and I just- it felt so nice that someone thought about me like that, but I’ve just been waiting for the day you discover that I’m really none of that; I’m not one bit as talented and amazing as you make me out to be, and you’ll realize that soon and leave me, just like everyone else. And now we’re dating and I  _ love _ you, Marc, but I’m so, so scared that you’ll discover the truth and not feel the same way anymore,” Nathaniel spouted out, finally clamping a hand over his mouth, eyes wide, and burst into tears.

A small group of passersby hurried away quickly as Nath fell to the ground and dissolved into tears of horror and humiliation. Clarity softened, attempting to descend and reach out, but Nathaniel backed away, jumped up and sprinted off.

“ _ Yeet... _ ” Chat Noir’s voice came from behind him.

Clarity turned to see Ladybug facepalming next to Chat and Rena Rouge, all watching him with expressions of mixed concern, pity, and discomfort. Hawk Moth’s voice suddenly pounded in his head.

_ “Now’s your chance, Clarity! Seize their miraculous- now, while they’re still off their guard-” _

Clarity ignored the voice, dropping his hand and landing on the ground. Ladybug cautiously took a step towards him, and he took off one of a pair of drop earrings, surrendering it to her.

“I don’t want to hurt any more people,” he told her quietly. 

She nodded, crushing the earring in her hand and reaching for her yo-yo to purify the butterfly that emerged. One umbrella thrown up in the air and a “Miraculous Ladybug!” later, dark smoke dissipated to reveal Marc on the ground, awkwardly taking in his surroundings. He looked up at Ladybug, eyes still downcast in shame.

“That was pretty harsh back there,” she told him. “I know what it’s like to be so overwhelmed by emotion you almost  _ want _ an akuma to come after you, but this city is going to have to suffer for a little while because of it.”

“I’m sorry...” he mumbled softly.

“If it’s any consolation, Lila Rossi was caught on camera,” Rena informed him. He looked up at her. “She confessed  _ everything. _ ”

Marc nodded silently, and soon the three superheroes had left the area to de-transform, leaving him alone on the pavement. Eventually, he, too, got up and left for home.

*

_ “This is Marc Anciel. I can’t pick up the phone right now so please leave a message.” _

The line beeped and Nathaniel cut the sixth call he’d attempted to make to reach Marc.

“Why won’t he pick up?!” Nathaniel burst out, flailing onto the bed. “This is a disaster!”

“Well, at least you tried,” Alix said dryly, picking up his phone before he dropped it on the floor. “It’s not your fault you got hit by an akuma and exposed your deepest darkest secrets for the world to know. From a totally impartial point of view, Marc should be the one to blame.”

Nathaniel glared at her. “If I hadn’t sucked up to Lila in the first place, none of this would’ve happened!”

“Actually, that’s fair. Lila dug this hole for herself, it’s not fair that all of Paris should be paying the consequences,” Alix shrugged.

“You seem pretty chill with everything, what- did you not get hit by the snowy stuff?” Nathaniel asked her curiously.

Alix leaned back, propping her arms behind her head. “You know I get in trouble for speaking my mind anyways.”

Nathaniel looked away, scowling slightly. “Right, of course...now, how am I supposed to smooth things out with Marc if he keeps ignoring me?”

Alix tossed him his phone. “Try again?”

Nathaniel sighed, picking it up. “Whatever...”

*

“...I know I have to go talk to him but I’m scared- what if he’s ridiculously mad at me for what I did while I was akumatized?”

“What if he isn’t and you just be direct with him?” Luka suggested, moving Marc’s hand away from his own head where he was currently pulling at his hair.

Marc looked at him like he’d just gone insane. “Just like that?!”

Luka nodded. “Why not? At this point, how much worse could it possibly get?”

“I guess you’re right,” the writer said after a few moments, patting his pockets, then reaching for his bag. “Hey, have you seen my phone?”

Luka raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Marc patted his pockets and checked all over his bag twice more, and then the panic started to set in.

“I could’ve sworn I had it with me this morning...” he muttered anxiously.

“Sorry, man, no idea,” Luka shrugged apologetically.

“No, no, it’s fine, I just, _ I need to find my phone _ ...thanks for having me over, but I should probably be going now,” Marc apologized. “Thanks for everything!”

“Sure thing,” Luka said, waving him goodbye as he exited the boat. “Good luck finding your phone!”

Marc nodded and smiled thankfully, then disappeared from view.

*

Lila wasn’t sure if she should be feeling triumphant or even more frustrated. She was still seething from the last akuma, and she hadn’t dared return to school the next day, either. Ladybug’s miraculous recovery had recovered everything as per usual, save for two things that would change  _ everything _ : every single truth confessed by the citizens of Paris during that tense hour and a half of akuma attack, and Lila’s dignity.

She still allowed herself to feel a twinge of satisfaction at having outsmarted that stupid, oversensitive boy with the bird’s nest on his head- Marc, yes, that was his name, but that didn’t make much of a difference. What mattered was that he had made a mistake, a grave mistake, and was going to pay very dearly for it. Not that he’d realized it, of course. Lila had summoned the most gracious decency within her to face him as he left the school this afternoon, offering him an apology and assurance of her forgiveness.

And now, thinking about it, it also didn’t really matter if there was someone who was half-decent at hacking technology who Lila had a stable connection to at the moment. Lila took the small, blue-cased device out of her bag and turned it over in her hands, a wicked grin growing on her face.

Marc was  _ so _ going to regret messing with her. Maybe not just yet, but when the time came, Lila would make sure of it.

*

“Sabrina?”

“Right here, Miss!”

“And that leaves Miss Rossi...has anyone seen Lila?” Mme Bustier questioned the class.

She was met with mild shrugs and shaking heads, none of the faces seeming particularly concerned. 

Caline sighed sadly. “I know that discovering the truth about Lila’s lies is disappointing, but don’t lose hope just because of it. Maybe there’s a reason behind all her deception, we just don’t know the full story!”

The class didn’t look all too convinced. The door opened just then, and a figure came in wearing a baggy hoodie, hood over their head so their face was in shadow. They were clutching a stack of books to their chest and hurried to back before drawing too much attention. Too late.

“Sorry I’m late,” mumbled the voice of Lila Rossi. 

The class watched for a few more moments in bemusement, then turned their heads and resolutely ignored her presence. She similarly turned away from them, settling down in her seat. The redhead beside her didn’t even glance up at her. Lila resisted the urge to make herself acknowledged, reminding herself that she still had something very valuable that would come in useful soon.

“Well, it’s nice to see you back, Lila,” Mme Bustier said from the front of the room. “Perhaps in due time you will feel comfortable enough to talk to the class about recent events. Until then, please open your textbooks to the page we left on yesterday...”

*

Marc was shaking as he walked up the stairs. Not like last time- this time he could barely feel his legs moving they were so heavy, his mind racing at mach 15, making him dizzy with dread and anxiety. It wasn’t too late to go to the library, but he owed this to Nath. At least show up and try to talk to him, then he could flee and find a nice hole to bury himself in for the rest of his life if this didn’t work out. 

Another boy from art rushed right past him, making him almost lose his balance on the stairs. Marc grimaced, pausing for a moment to collect his breath and steady his nerves. It didn’t help. Might as well just face this head-on.

He took another two deep breaths in and out, then raced up the stairs as fast as he could, pushing the door open with all the limited energy he could. Inside, he stopped in his tracks before they looked at him crazy. Well, more than they already did. Nathaniel was watching him with an expression that mirrored exactly how Marc felt- confusion, concern, and extreme apprehension. The writer folded his hands nervously and fidgeted a bit with the zipper on his hoodie, walking up.

“Nath…”

“I called you six times last night but you weren’t picking up- is everything okay?” the redhead asked immediately. Marc blinked at him, then let out a slow sigh of relief. Well, if that was all…

“Sorry, I think I lost my phone, I’m so sorry you couldn’t contact me...everything is fine, though. Well, I mean, as fine as it can be after...well, y’know...heh,” Marc laughed nervously.

“Right...about that...” Nath started, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m really, really sorry about what happened- I was upset and let Hawk Moth take over me and I am so, so sorry-”

“Shh,” Nath cut him off quickly. “I kind of wanted to talk about that...but like, you know, not here, with everyone else around,” he mumbled quietly. “I-if that’s okay with you, of course...”

Marc nodded vigorously. “Sure thing, uh, do you wanna ask M. Ross if we can step out for a few minutes?”

Nathaniel frowned. “I guess, yeah...”

Marc barely hesitated in jumping up and asking the art teacher if they could go to the library for a moment to get a very inspiring book Marc had found earlier.

“Come on,” he whispered, motioning to the door, and they both stepped out of the classroom, moving a little ways away to make sure they were alone.

“You were saying?” Marc asked anxiously.

“Yeah, uh, about what happened- I hope you’re doing okay and, uh, I kinda said some stuff there, huh...”

“I made you, I’m so-”

“And I don’t blame you,” Nath said, looking at the floor. “I mean, our relationship first started out on a bit of a rocky note, I can imagine you’d be hesitant. I was too, and I’m sorry, I should have been more honest with you, too. There’s no good that comes out of assumptions and misunderstandings, but some things are better left unsaid...I just didn’t realize how badly they’d affect our relationship...”

“Nath,” Marc said firmly. Nath looked up at him in surprise and the writer stared him dead in those seafoam eyes. “I’m really sorry for what I did - yes, I  _ know _ I was akumatized but it wasn’t right of me to do that in any case, let me finish - I don’t know how you’ve been faring afterwards but I just wanted you to know that I  _ have _ seen the real you, and honestly? You’re even better than those drawings on the school website. Every day that we grow closer, I only fall in love with you more, and I definitely don’t ever want to let you go.  _ Promise. _ ”

Nathaniel gaped at him in shock. “I- well, uh,  _ Marc, _ that was really, um...” he trailed off. 

Marc began to feel uncomfortable again. Had he said the wrong thing? He knew it, he was always better with written words than speaking aloud- 

“I’m sorry for doubting you-” was all the redhead could manage before Marc had the wind knocked out of him.

He stood frozen for a couple seconds, mouth open, then registered Nathaniel’s arms snugly wrapped around his waist and chest, and relaxed, wrapping his own around the artist’s form.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Nath mumbled into his shoulder.

“I could say the same to you...” Marc murmured softly, running a hand through scarlet hair. 

Nathaniel only hummed in response, breaking away after a few minutes. “Should we go back, now?”

Marc paused, thinking for a moment. “Mm, I dunno about you, but I’m suddenly in the mood for crepes.”

The redhead grinned.

“With mint chocolate chip ice cream?”

“And a scoop of pistachio and cherry delight?”

“You know it,” Nath laughed. “Screw school.”

“There’s only about fifteen minutes left, anyways,” Marc pointed out, checking the time.

“Great, let’s go!”

The two of them laughed and went off downstairs, hand-in-hand, blissfully unaware that they had really not been completely alone, that this whole exchange had been witnessed by someone else, someone who was now very grimly satisfied indeed.

Lila tapped the button to end recording, closing the camera app on her phone and pocketing the device. She watched the two figures’ heads dip below the top of the stairs and out of view, then stood up. She paused for a moment, then walked on in the direction of room 33, whistling a soft tune as she went.

*

“Soooo... _ someone _ was skipping classes today to hang out with their  _ boyfriend, _ ” Alix drawled when the redhead finally picked up.

She was casually walking through the Louvre towards the room in the back where she allegedly lived, kicking out the wheels in the heels of her shoes every so often.

“ _ Alix, stop! Marc and I talked it over and we’re good now- great, actually! And then we went out for crepes and went to the zoo and chilled and it was really fun! I mean, at least barely anyone else remembers, right? Oh, by the way- I was going to ask if you’d pick up my stuff from the art room- _ ”

“Hey, Alix!”

Alix held the phone away from her face for a moment, giving her older brother a skeptical glance and glancing to her phone meaningfully. She held it back to her ear.

“Sorry, I’m already at the Louvre. Just hope that M. Ross picked it up and put it somewhere so you can pick it up tomorrow, I guess. That’s what he usually does, anyways.”

“ _ Oh, I guess you’re right. Oh, well, then...so anyways, did M. Ross say anything about  me and Marc disappearing? _ ”

“Alix, come on, you are not going to belie-”

Alix gave him a pointed look and turned back the phone. “Nah, we just all assumed you went to some janitor’s closet to make out-”

“ _ Alix! _ ”

“I’m  _ kidding! _ ” she defended, rolling her eyes, but not seriously. “You two are still a secret, I promise. Well, I mean,  _ Jalil _ knows,” she said, barely glancing at him, “but otherwise, you know...”

Jalil was looking at her pleadingly, a folder in his hands, half-open. 

She sighed, holding the phone away for a moment. “Sorry, gimme a sec, Nath- what  _ is it,  _ Jalil? I barely just got back from school...”

“Remember that thing I was saying about your watch?”

Alix nodded dryly. “Yeah- sorry, J, but I really gotta take this call,” she apologized, pointing to the phone, and put a hand against her cheek to whisper conspiratorially. “You know, about a certain someone’s  _ love life... _ ”

Jalil sighed and deflated. “Yeah, whatever, you do your call, I’ll just-”

“I’m sorry! Here, gimme like ten minutes and I’ll come see whatever you want to show me, kay?”

“Oh, okay then,” he shrugged. Alix nodded and went back to her call.

*

“Soo, what was it that you wanted to show me?” Alix asked, bursting into his study fifteen minutes later.

He only glared for a moment. “You could have knocked,” he pointed out, then sighed. “Anyways, remember how I said your watch could have been something like an attempt at making a miraculous? I found some scripts that might actually have the instructions they used, if I've read these hieroglyphics right...”

Alix put a hand on his arm, stopping him. “Dude,” she said, staring at him, “you found out how someone could make a freaking miraculous?!”

Jalil paused to fix his glasses and nodded. Her eyes widened for a few seconds, then she narrowed them and released her grip.

“What's the catch?” she asked disappointedly.

Jalil fidgeted awkwardly. “Er, well, it sort of involved some cult rituals that may or may not require a human sacrifi-”

“And you can stop right there,” Alix interrupted. “You promised no more necromancy after you were akumatized!”

“It's not necromancy…” he mumbled, but did not pursue her in any case.

“Well, it might be cool if it wasn't so deathly…” Alix offered, halfway out the door. “Maybe you'll be the one who finds a, er, safer way…?”

He shrugged, sighing and turning back to his desk, and she left.

*

Luka got to the skating rink almost 45 minutes early. Definitely not because he wanted to make sure he wasn’t late for his “date-but-not-officially-a-date” with Kagami. Maybe because there hadn’t been much to do tonight? Juleka’s girl friends were having a meet-up so he figured he’d just get here early. Besides, watching the skating lessons today - an adult group instruction on the basics of partner dancing on ice - was entertaining enough to keep him occupied before the rink became available for freestyle skating once again. 

“Trying to sneak in some cheats to make a good impression, huh?”

Luka whipped around to see that Kagami had already arrived, plopping her bag down on the bench. He flushed slightly.

“Nah, not much to do, so I figured I’d get here early,” he shrugged.

“I suppose I could say the same,” she replied. “How was your week?”

“Wild and yet ironically uneventful. You?”

“Mm, why don’t you elaborate yourself?” she suggested.

He chuckled. “One of my friends has been having a pretty dramatic week and his stories are pretty entertaining, but I haven’t been up to much out of the ordinary myself,” Luka explained.

“That’s fair,” Kagami offered. “Just going through the motions till Thursday, huh?”

Luka laughed. “You wish.”

“Wonder if we could ever do that...” she murmured thoughtfully, watching the instructor demonstrate a difficult pose that required a large amount of balance and strength for both people involved.

“Wanna try?” Luka dared.

Kagami raised an eyebrow, eyeing his lean form. “You sure you could pull that off?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Hmm...” Kagami hummed, leaning forward in her seat.

The next half hour passed in commentary and exchanges about the lesson, as well as small talk about their own lives, and before either of them knew it, the rink was empty, open for the two of them to fill it with their own expression and movement.

“Should we try the pose from before?” Luka asked. “If you still think you can, that is.”

Kagami didn’t bother giving him a reply, instead taking his hand and turning herself around. Before he could even respond to her aloud, she had already advanced ahead of him, dragging him with her. He quickly grasped her other arm, and they skated around the rink for a few moments to gain momentum before she threw herself towards him, leaning with her back to the ice. They spun around twice before she lowered herself even more and he squatted down, too, releasing one of her arms, and continued to rotate as she lifted a leg into the air. After a few more spins, Luka stood up again, and Kagami straightened herself, taking his other arm again and leading him across the ice to skate freely once more.

“Amazing!” Philippe called from the seats. “Absolutely spectacular! The fluidity, the grace, the coordination- you two are natural born skating partners like I’ve never seen before!”

Kagami dropped Luka’s other arm and spread out, their joined hands the only thing keeping them together now. They shared a glance, laughing slightly.

“I guess we are, huh?” Luka asked Kagami, bringing her closer so he could take her other hand up again.

“Hmm?” Kagami hummed teasingly, then laughed.

“I could make stars out of you two!” Philippe said excitedly. “I could train you personally!”

“Thanks, but my schedule’s already pretty packed,” Kagami declined.

Luka nodded. “I’m really more passionate about my music, you know?”

Philippe looked crestfallen, then perked. “Well, the offer is still on the table! And you’re always welcome here, if you ever choose to come back.”

“Thanks,” Kagami said again. “We will.”

Luka looked at her, surprised, but she barely spared him a glance until Philippe had disappeared into his office again. She was just suppressing a smirk.

“I, uh, I guess it’s too late to be asking this, but, er...” Luka started. “Is this a...”

“Date?” Kagami finished, with such confidence that Luka was left marvelling. “Why don’t you decide?”

Luka couldn’t hold himself back from grinning. “Well, then, guess you’ll make me ask you this directly, huh?”

She stopped skating aimlessly and paused, looking at him. “What?” she asked curiously.

“Remember when you asked if I had a girlfriend?”

Her expression changed immediately to a coy smile.

“I’d be honored,” she told him easily. 

He blinked. “I didn’t even tell you what it was,” he pointed out.

She shrugged. “See you again on Saturday? Kagami Tsurugi, by the way,” she told him, giving him a wink and skating off to the rink gate.

“Luka Couffaine!” he called back.

She nodded and waved, swapping skates for shoes and heading out. He watched her exit through the hallway, then skated a few more rounds around the rink. Marc’s words echoed through his mind again, and he shook his head, smiling.

“Who needs serious, direct conversations when she can just read my mind?” he asked aloud, then ducked, bursting out laughing.

*

Lila patiently waited until the entire class had arrived and was in their seats to enter the room. She had abandoned the oversized hoodie, back in her typical, stylish ensemble, although it didn’t seem to make a difference to anyone as she sashayed into the room. She didn’t expect anyone to spare her a second glance, or even a first one, but she didn’t mind. Lila could wait, she could deal with this to get that sweet, sweet fruit of revenge. She stopped halfway, pausing in the middle of the aisle between the rows of desks, and some people paused in their conversation to look at her in confusion.

“I believe it has become common knowledge as to what happened a few days ago,” she announced, clearing her throat loudly.

A few grumbles responded, scattered throughout the classroom.

“I have seen the errors in my ways, and I deeply apologize for exaggerating and giving you false information about me for attention. But I can assure you that I was not the only one keeping secrets, in fact, I was far from it. After all, what’s the harm in withholding information, building a little suspense before the dramatic truth comes to light?”

Some confused and interested murmurs spread out around her.

“Well, I can see that a certain someone in this class and another were quite keen on finding someone else to pin all the attention to so they could build their own suspense a little longer...”

“Lila, what is this about?” Mylene asked aloud, annoyed.

“Yeah, Lila, quit building suspense so you can tell us more lies. Either straight-up say it or leave us alone!” Kim chimed in.

Lila dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “You say I lie, but I assure you, this is the truth. What I am about to reveal to you will change how this class has worked,  _ forever. _ ” She paused a moment, letting that sink in, then whipped around, pointing straight at the redhead in the backseat. He sprang upright, eyes widening in confusion. “Nathaniel Kurtzberg!” she announced, pointing steadily. “Is dating Marc Anciel from Mme Mendeleiev’s class!  _ Exposed!!! _ ”

There was pin-drop silence. It stayed for a few moments, a few moments much longer than it should have. Lila dropped her hand awkwardly, and whispers broke out all around the room.

“ _ Yay _ , more lies,” Max said simply, rolling his eyes and turning back to his phone. The others seemed to agree.

Lila stared at them, mouth agape. “I’m not lying!” she insisted to their skeptical faces. “Here, I can prove it!”

She pulled out her phone and tapped the screen a few times, then pocketed it, satisfied, just as ten phones around the class beeped, pinged, and buzzed. They all pulled their own phones out to see what it was they had all been sent, and Alya projected the message onto the board for all to see.

It was a 5-second clip, one that looped over as soon as it ended each time, a figure in a red hoodie in a tight embrace with someone who was a little harder to make out, but one could just make out a grey top and red hair. The class watched this video loop about four times, no one saying a word. Lila was about to call victory and commence her triumph march, when someone spoke up.

“Wow, they look like very good  _ friends _ ,” Adrien commented aloud, and half the class snickered.

The snickering grew louder, some people burst out laughing, and then, what mystified Lila more than anything else, the room suddenly burst into cheers.

“Congrats, dude!”

“About time!”

“I’m so happy for you, Nath!”

“Just remember, I was the one who set them up together in the first place-”

“Sure, girl. Congratulations, Nathaniel!”

The entire class had gathered around a flushing redhead who was hiding his face in his hands as they covered him in hugs and enthusiastic pats on the back and congratulations.

“B-but guys! He’s  _ gay! _ ” Lila pointed out, growing annoyed. 

Kim looked up and glared at her. “I’m sorry, did you just insult him for being gay? I’m bisexual!”

“Yeah, I’m bi, too!” Rose piped up. “That’s not very respectful of you!”

“I’m actually pansexual, myself,” Nino added. “That’s not cool”

Lila gaped as every single one of them told her off for her comment, exposing themselves in the process, or at least degrading her own point down to nothing. Finally, even Chloe came up, grabbing her by the collar and hissing in her ear.

“Listen, I know better than anyone here how to put someone in their place. But that’s a _ low blow _ , even for me, you got that?”

She pulled away, glaring for a moment, then walking off dismissively as if nothing had even happened. Lila gaped after her in shock, staring at all of them in shock and horror, and starting to panic.

“I- I...” she started, desperately searching for something to say. 

No one bothered to help her out.

“I have to go,” she said finally, breaking out of a faze and taking off running as fast she could possibly go, as far away from here as possible. It didn’t even matter where she was going at this point. Anywhere-  _ anywhere _ away from here…

*

Anywhere turned out to be the Louvre. She set off three security guards after having sprinted past them at the entrance, but she didn’t really care anymore. Lila finally collapsed in front of some exhibit, falling down onto the bench and letting all her anguish out in the ugliest cry she’d ever had nightmares about in public.

“Lila! Lila...”

She didn’t bother looking up; this day was already beyond trash, this was just the cherry on freaking top.

“Lila, are you okay?”

Jalil’s voice was concerned, so genuinely concerned that Lila couldn’t hold up the petty front anymore. She wiped her face on her sleeve, wincing at the wet stain it left behind, and dared to look up.

Alix’s older brother leaned down, putting a hand on her shoulder gently.

“I just wanted to talk to you about something I found in my research, but what happened to  _ you? _ ” he asked worriedly.

She shook her head dismissively. “Noth- I just, you wanted to talk to  _ me? _ Why me?”

“I want to make sure you’re okay first, though,” he said cautiously.

“I don’t feel like talking about it right now- you go. What is it you wanted to talk to  _ me _ about, of all people?”

Jalil’s eyes darted around awkwardly. “Well, you know, you’re the only one who actually cares about my research and stuff I’ve discovered. Everyone else calls me a foolish waste of intelligence or a reckless idiot and you’re the only one who actually sat down and listened to what I had to say.”

_ And lied _ , Lila added silently, wincing. “Yeah, it’s interesting!” she offered, smiling weakly. At this point, she wasn’t even sure herself if she was lying or sincere. Even if she didn’t really care, hey, at least it was a distraction from the agony that was her life.

“Well, the technological base is pretty straightforward and do-able,” he explained, pushing his glasses up his nose. “But to make it really powered, I’m not sure how the real miraculous were powered, but it takes some serious next-level kind of life force. I’m thinking, maybe if a person, albeit one who’d be kind of risky to put their life on the line...if it worked out ideally, they would survive but effectively preserve some kind of life energy in the talisman to power it. If not, well, I guess their soul becomes a part of it? Trust me, it goes really in depth about it, but I don’t think there’s ever been a recorded success story, so it’s still a bit ambiguous. Imagine, though, being able to perfect a miraculous of your own! I mean, disregarding the ethical concerns, obviously, but wouldn’t it be cool to think about?”

“Hmm...” Lila said thoughtfully. “You know, if you wanted to actually do that, I wouldn’t mind helping you.”

Jalil stared at her, eyebrows raised. “And put your life in danger?”

She shrugged. “Not like there’s much more I can lose,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” he asked curiously.

“Nothing,” she waved off quickly. “I’m willing to help you. There’s not a lot of people left who I don’t feel like strangling on sight, you’re one of the rare few. Plus, it sounds like you really want this, so I’ll do it.”

“Did you not hear anything I just said?!” Jalil asked, eyes wide.

“Oh, trust me, I did. But I’d honestly love to go down in history as a pioneer in technological advancements of this kind.”

“Didn’t you say you helped your cousin discover some new element?” Jalil asked. Lila shuddered.

“Did I? Well, uh-”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to answer that,” he backtracked quickly. “Uh, you really wanna try it out?”

Lila nodded vigorously. Jalil stared at her warily for a little longer, then gave in.

“Well then, I’ll take you to my study. I basically live here, by the way, just so you know...”

*

Nathaniel picked his phone up on the 3rd ring. “Hey, Alix-”

“ _ Nath, I need your help! Jalil’s gone off his rocker and wants to try another one of those ancient Egyptian cult rituals _ !”

Nathaniel jumped up. “Who is it this time?” he asked, worried.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “Lila.”

Nath sat back down. “ _ Oh. _ ”

“ _ Who is still a human being! _ ” Alix added quickly. “ _ Come on, Nath, I hate her guts too, but Jalil’s really done it this time! Come on! _ ”

Nath sighed. “Okay fine, I’ll come,” he relented. “How urgent is this?”

“ _ He’s already got a room reserved and the rituals practically started already, so, uh, very urgent? _ ”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Nathaniel told her, then closed the line, dropping into his chair with a sigh mixed with a groan.

*

“So you're definitely sure this could take us back in time?” Lila asked, warily eyeing the set-up around the room. 

The lights had been turned out, the only illumination came from the candles set out on the floor, surrounded by ancient pieces of parchment and various artifacts.

Jalil nodded, absorbed in a page if his own notebook. He frowned in concentration.

“You still want to do this?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “You literally stole your little sister's prized possession for this. There's no going back now.”

Jalil glanced at her for confirmation, she gave him a firm nod, and he turned the page of his notebook. He cleared his throat and began murmuring words in a language she didn't know, low and soft, then growing louder.

*

“Nath,  _ hurry up _ !” Alix called, speeding ahead on her rollerblades.

“I'm coming!” he replied, speed-walking to catch up to her.

Alix accelerated and threw open the door at the end of the hall. Nathaniel skidded to a stop right before her, peering around her to see why she had stopped. His eyes widened.

The room was entirely dark, wisps of smoke rising from the outed candles, save for a small silver shape on the floor that was emitting a blindingly bright, blue light. The blue lit up the entire room in rays, and Alix and Nath shaded their eyes to avoid the glare. Alix skated up to the object and reached for it.

“What the heck?” she said aloud, recognizing the object. “ _ Jalil?! _ ”

But there was no response. 

**Author's Note:**

> walp dat cliffhanger doe
> 
> HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT AND KUDOS ^w^


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